Water vending machine with container supply device

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a water vending machine with a container supply device, which comprises a housing, a container supply unit, and a water supply unit. The container supply unit is arranged inside the housing and accommodates a plurality of containers. When a coin is inserted into a first slot, the container supply unit will release a container. The water supply unit is arranged in front of the housing and has a water supply chamber which has a water outlet at the top thereof. A hanging plate is arranged below the water outlet and has a notch at the center thereof. A pair of clamp plates is arranged on the hanging plate. A pair of clamp edges is formed on the inner sides of the clamp plates and used to support and confine the container so that the opening of the container can coincide with the water outlet.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a water vending machine, particularly to a water vending machine with a container supply device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Different from chlorine-containing tap water, water supplied by a vending machine is sourced from a mountain spring, processed by several filters, and sterilized with ultraviolet ray. Mountain spring water is naturally better than tap water in taste. Further, mountain spring water is processed with several filtering procedures to remove impurities and illuminated with ultraviolet ray for disinfection. Therefore, water supplied by a vending machine is safer and even can be drunk directly without boiling. No wonder many people like to buy water from a vending machine and use it for food, such as in cooking, tea brewing and coffee brewing, and tap water is just used in cleaning.

However, it is very inconvenient for consumers to bring bottles or containers to a water vending machine, where they aim the water nozzle at the opening of a bottle or container and drop a coin into the slot to obtain water. Sometimes, a consumer not carrying about a container has to buy a container elsewhere before buying water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a water vending machine having a container supply device, which can sells water and containers, whereby a consumer needn't temporarily go elsewhere to buy a container before buying water, and whereby the inconvenience of the conventional water vending machine is solved.

To achieve the abovementioned objective, the present invention proposes a water vending machine with a container supply device, which comprises a housing, a container supply unit arranged inside the housing, and a water supply unit arranged in the front of the housing. Several containers are vertically stacked inside the container supply unit. When a coin is dropped into a first slot, a controller controls the container supply unit to release a container. The water supply unit has a water supply chamber. The water supply chamber has a water outlet at the top thereof. A hanging plate is arranged below the water outlet and has a notch at the center thereof. A pair of clamp plates is arranged on the hanging plate. The inner front edges of the clamp plates form a bell mouth. The edges behind the bell mouth are carved into clamp edges. The clamp edges support and confine the container so that the opening of the container can coincide with the water outlet. Thereby, the present invention sells containers and exempts consumers from the inconvenience of aligning the container to the water outlet.

The present invention has the following advantages:

-   -   1. The water vending machine of the present invention can supply         containers. Therefore, it is convenient for a consumer not         carrying a container to buy water from the water vending machine         of the present invention.     -   2. A water supply unit arranged in the front of the housing, and         a pair of clamp plates is arranged in the water supply unit. The         clamp edges of the clamp plates support and confine the         protrudent ring above the neck of the container and make the         opening of the container exactly coincide with the water outlet.         Thereby, consumers are exempted from the inconvenience of         holding the container and aligning the opening of the container         to the water outlet, and water leakage is also prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of a water vending machine with a container supply device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a water vending machine with a container supply device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the water supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a portion of the components of the water supply unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The water vending machine with a container supply device of the present invention comprises a housing 10, a container supply unit 14, and a water supply unit 15 supplying water to a container 20.

The housing 10 has a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The housing 10 has a first slot 11 a and a second slot 11 b at the front thereof, has a transparent window 12 and a container dispensing aperture 13 at the lower part thereof, and has a sensor (not shown in the drawings) thereinside.

The container supply unit 14 is arranged inside the housing 10 and comprises a vertical conveyer rack 141. The conveyer rack 141 is formed of a pair of channel bars 142 with the channels facing inwards. A row of containers 20 are arranged in the space defined by the pair of channel bars 142. The conveyer rack 141 has a container outlet 143 at the bottom thereof, and the container outlet 143 interconnects the container dispensing aperture 13 at the bottom of the housing 10. A controller is arranged above the container outlet 143 and connects with the sensor inside the housing 10. The present invention does not feature the controller, the drawings do not particularly disclose the controller. When a coin is inserted into the first slot 11 a, the sensor is triggered to make the controller release one container 20.

Further refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The water supply unit 15 is arranged in the front of the housing 10 and comprises a recessed water supply chamber 151. The water supply chamber 151 has a water outlet 152 at the top thereof. When a coin is inserted into the second slot 11 b, the sensor inside the housing 10 is triggered to control the water outlet 152 to output water. As the sensing and controlling technology is a conventional technology, it will not be described in detail herein. The water supply chamber 151 has a U-shape hanging plate 153. Two ends of the hanging plate 153 extend vertically and then horizontally to form two flanges 154. The two flanges 154 are fastened to the top of the water supply chamber 151. The hanging plate 153 has a notch 155 at the center thereof. A door 156 is pivotally installed on one side of the water supply chamber 151. The door 156 can be opened or closed. When the door 156 is closed, the water supply chamber 151 is also sealed.

A pair of clamp plates 16 is secured to the top of the hanging plate 153. The clamp plates 16 have a curved contour. The inner front edges of the clamp plates 16 form a bell mouth 161, and the front side of the bell mouth 161 is larger than the rear side of the bell mouth 161. The edges behind the bell mouth 161 extend linearly at first and then are carved into arc-shape clamp edges 162. The bell mouth 161 overlaps the notch 155 of the hanging plate 153.

The container 20 is made of a plastic material. The top of the container 20 shrinks into a neck 21, and a protrudent ring 22 is formed above the neck 21. The neck 21 of the container 20 can be pushed into the clamp plates 16 from the bell mouth 161, and the protrudent ring 22 is thus supported and confined by the clamp edges 162, and the opening of the container 20 then exactly coincides with the water outlet 152 to receive water.

In practical operation, when a user inserts a coin into the first slot 11 a, the conveyer rack 141 of the container supply unit 14 releases one container 20 from the container outlet 143, and the container 20 enters the container dispensing aperture 13 of the housing 10. Then, the user takes out the container 20, opens the door 156 of the water supply unit 15, and pushes the container 20 into the bell mouth 161 of the clamp plates 16. Thus, the neck 21 of the container 20 is clamped by the clamp edges 162, and the protrudent ring 22 is supported and confined by the clamp edges 162, and the opening of the container 20 exactly coincides with the water outlet 152. Then, the user inserts another coin into the second slot 11 b, and the water outlet 152 fills water into the container 20.

The present invention has the following advantages:

-   -   1. The water vending machine of the present invention can supply         containers. Therefore, it is convenient for a consumer not         carrying a container to buy water from the water vending machine         of the present invention.     -   2. A pair of clamp plates 16 is arranged in the water supply         unit 15. The clamp edges 162 of the clamp plates 16 support and         confine the protrudent ring 22 above the neck 21 of the         container 20 and make the opening of the container 20 exactly         coincide with the water outlet 152, which not only can exempt         consumers from holding the container 20 and aligning the opening         of the container 20 to the water outlet 152 but also can avoid         the misalignment of the container 20 and the water outlet 152.         Therefore, labor is saved, and water leakage is prevented. 

1. A water vending machine with a container supply device, comprising a housing having a container dispensing aperture; a water supply unit arranged inside said housing, having a recessed water supply chamber, and facilitating a container receiving water, wherein said water supply chamber has a water outlet at the top thereof; the top of said container shrinks into a neck, and a protrudent ring is formed above said neck; and a container supply unit arranged inside said housing, having a conveyer rack accommodating a plurality of said containers, and having a container outlet interconnecting said container dispensing aperture of said housing.
 2. The water vending machine with a container supply device according to claim 1, wherein said conveyer rack is formed of a pair of channel bars with the channels facing inwards; a row of said containers are arranged in the space defined by said pair of channel bars.
 3. The water vending machine with a container supply device according to claim 1, wherein said housing has a first slot and a second slot; a sensor is arranged inside said housing; said sensor interconnects said first slot and said second slot; a controller is arranged inside said container outlet; inserting a coin into said second slot triggers said sensor to control said water outlet to output water; inserting a coin into said first slot triggers said sensor to make said conveyer rack release one said container; a pair of clamp plates is arranged inside said water supply chamber; front edges of said clamp plates form a bell mouth; edges behind said bell mouth extend linearly and then are carved into arc-shape clamp edges; said clamp edges support said protrudent ring.
 4. The water vending machine with a container supply device according to claim 3, wherein a hanging plate is horizontally arranged inside said water supply chamber; said hanging plate has a notch at the center thereof; said pair of clamp plates is arranged on said hanging plate; said bell mouth overlaps said notch.
 5. The water vending machine with a container supply device according to claim 4, wherein two ends of said hanging plate respectively extend vertically and then horizontally to form two flanges; said two flanges are fastened to the top of said water supply chamber. 